Spike and nail extractor



F. SWOYER v April 11, 1933K.

SPIKE AND NAIL EXTRACTOR rFiled Nov. 6, 1931 Patented Apr. 11, 1933 FEED sWoYER, or siLvEn GROVE, KENTUCKY` p PATENT oFFi lSPIKE AND NAIL ExriRAc'roR Application med-'November 6, 193,1. Serial No. 573,460.

This invention relates to a nail and spike extractor.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of nail and spike l extractors and to provide a simple, practical and efficient nail and spike extractor of strong, durable and comparatively inexpensive construction, equipped with a plurality of nail and spike extractingjaws adapted to successively operate on a nail or spike and coact with a single ulcrum of the extractor and obviate the necessity of employing a socalled heel or other means supplemental to a single fulcrum face for enabling the final stages of the extraction of" along Ynail or spike to be completed. Y

Another. object of the invention resides in the provision ofv a nail and spike extractor equippedwith a relatively short outer claw adapted to enable great leverage to be exerted on a nail or spike to start it so that the nail o1' spike, after being started, may be successivelyoperated on by a relatively long claw to completely extract the nail oi' spike, the structure being such as to admit of ull and unobstructed view of the outer claw when engaging it with a nail or like fastening to be extracted. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide al device of the nature stated embodying the relatively short and relatively long outer and inner claws so as to coact with a single fulcrum to obviate the necessity of providing aV pluralityA of fulcrums and of changing the ulcrum in changing from one claw to another.

It is `still further designed to provide an implement of the nature stated, embodying among other characteristics, two separate claws, one disposed above the other, the structure being such as to admit a full and unobstructed view of the lowermost claw when engaging it with a nail or like fastening to be extracted. i`

Vith these and other objects in View, the invention' consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and set vforth inthe 50 claims hereto appended,it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, l and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention orV sacricing any of the advantages 55 thereof. 1 In the drawingz-V v Figure 1 is a perspective 'View of a nail and spike extracting implement embodying i the I invention, an intermediate portion `of Athe 150 bar or handle being broken away.

Fig. 2 isfa front view, the bar being broken away. Y

Fig. 3 is a sectional view-on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the ar- 55 rows. Fig. 4 is a sectional view Von theline of Fi 3. v

Reerring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, in whichis illustrat- 7 ed the preferred formv of the present invention, the device comprises in its construction Aa bar or shank l consisting of a substantially straight bar which may be of any desired form in cross section and having its outer end 7 enlarged lfor strength as at 2 and curved to form a rolling fulcrum, the enlargement being directed laterally from the lowerend of the baror shank 1, as shown. `This enlarged Y portion 2 ishollowed out to provide an open- 30 ing 4 through which the outer claw 5, located at the bottom of the opening, can be readily seenby theoperator in his attempt to engage the outer claw with a nail, spike or the like. Side walls 6 and 7 result from the hol- 35 low enlargement which are effectively braced by reason of the rear wall 8 and the connection between the outer end of the side wall and the inner claw 9 which latter is arranged above the outer-claw 5` and which projects be- 90 vyond the outer claw, as clearly shown in the drawing. i

The hollowed out portion which forms the opening l vprovides a. nail or spike headl receiving pocket which is open at the vtop and at the front and closed at the sides and' back and substantially at the bottom as the outer claw 5 is located atrthe bottom vof the pocket or opening and extends longitudinally thereof from the front of the same to the rear Y wall thereof. The sides or members of the claw project inwardly from the side walls 6 and 7 and are beveled laterally and having converging longitudinal edges which form a tapering space between the sides or members of the lower or outer claw. he lower faces .of the sides or members ofthe lower or outer claw merge into theface of the rolling fulcrum 3, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. y

The space formed "between the-side walls 6 and 7 by reason of the hollow form of enlargement constitutes an opening"whichad mits of unobstructedview of the outerclaw 5 when the adjusting the same to the head of a nail, spike or like fastening.V Both claws 5 and 9 project outwardly from the bar l at vapr'iroximately a right angle thereto with the lresult that a maximum leverage is afforded for extracting the fastening to be withdrawn and the rolling fulcrum 3 being common to both claws, constitutes a part common to the bar l and sidewalls 6 and 7 Y The'upper or' inner claw which projects forwardly from the vpocket or opening 4 at the top thereof extends upwardly and outwardly and is arrangedat an acute angle to the lower or inner jaw, as clearly shown in `F ig. 3 of the drawing. This will increase the lifting effect of the nailextractor and enable the same to draw a longer nail er spike withvoutbending the same as would be the case where the outer or upper claw disposed in true-parallelism with the plane of the lower ror inner clawl The "inner lower .claw is bev- -eled1 laterally at the upper faces of its sides and the inner side edges of the sides of the VYupper claw are laterally beveled downwardly kand outwardly fromv the upper faces of the sides of the claw, as clearly illustrated in Fig.12 of the dra-wing. The beveling at -the upper faces of the sides of the lower inner claw facilitates engagement of the said claw with the head of a nail or spike preparatory to extracting the same' and the downv-ward bevel of the upper outer claw enables the same to engage the head of the spike or nail with the upper faces of the side portions of the outer upper claw and, at the same time, i provides a clearance space below the engaged upper Vsurfaces for cleaning the shank of rthe nail or spike and thereby facilitate the extraction-of the same without bending the said v nail or spike.

A The hollow space 10 is opened forwardly of Y the deviceunder the inner claw 9 to permit ready engagement of the outer claw 5 with a ,nail,.spikeforfthe like and in operating the extractor, the relativelyshort outer claw is first engaged with a nail -or spike. This v.outer jaw ,having a short leverage enables the operator with a short arm movement to start the extraction of the nail or spike with :less effortlthan lwith an ordinary single claw,

- @5 spike and nail extractor which of necessity then be further extracted with less effort than at the beginning of the operation. The

and for practicability, must 'be constructed with a longer leverage than the short outer claw in order to enable theY operator of such single claw extractor to complete the extraction of short nails, and spikes, and also to make as full and as complete an extraction of longnails and spikes as possible. After the initial andpartial extraction vof a nail or spike, the nail is loosened in the hole and can operator engages the head of the partially extracted nail or spike with the inner relatively long claw, and thisfclaw, having a longer leverage than the outer claw, enables they operator toV complete the removaltof the nail or spike with another short'arm movement and without-building up a fulcrum under the single rolling fulcrum formed by the curved end of the shank.

The nail `and spike extractor may be constructed of any suitable sizeand the size of the devices will correspond lto the character ofthe nails or spikes to be extracted. A

A much lighterand shorter handle may be employed than is usually required by the ordinary single claw extractor as the relatively short lower or inner claw will enable a nail or spi-ke to bereadily started with a shortarm movement and the initiall stage of W5 the extraction of a heavy n ail or vspike may be accomplished ywith much less effort than is required by the ordinary singleclaw extractor -owing to the relatively short outer or lower claw and the relatively great lengthV of C100 the handle. The relatively short outer or lower claw of the nail extractor during the final stages of the extraction of a long nail or spike will come in contact'with the nail or spike and thereby eliminate some of the an- 05 gular pullv of. the relatively long claw and will materially assist in the ease of the extraction and also in avoiding or preventing bending of a long nail or spike.

What is claimed is: l. An implement of the character specified comprising a bar' having an v end portion curved laterally to provide a rolling fulcrum, spaced side walls adjacent the ful-,g

crum end of the bar, an inner claw connecting the outer ends of the side walls, andan outer claw in line with the 'outer kedges of the side walls and the face of the rolling fulcrum T 2. A nail and spike extractor comprising a bar having its outer end extended forvwardly and provided with a nail and a spike head receiving pocket having side and rear walls, a lower outer claw constituting the'125 bottom ofthepocket and an upper` inner claw extending from the outer end of the bar at the top of the pocket and connecting the side walls thereof, said pocket being open at Vthe top and in rear' of the inner claw and open'130 at the front between the claws to afford an unobstructed View of the lower outer claw.

3. A nail and spike extractor comprising a bar having its outer end curved forwardly and presenting an outer curved end face forming a single convex rolling fulcrum, said outer end being enlarged and provided with a nail and spike head receiving pocket open at the top and at the front and provided at the bottom with a lower outer claw extending longitudinally of the pocket and formed integral with the side Walls ofthe pocket, and an inner upper claw extending from the outer end of the bar at the top of the said pocket and connecting the side walls thereof.

4. A nail and spike extractor comprising a bar having its outer end curved" forwardly and presenting an outer curved end face forming a single. convex rolling fulcrum, said outer end being enlarged and provided with a nail and spike head receiving pocket open at the top and at the front and provided at the bottom with a lower outer claw extending longitudinally of the pocket and formed integral with the side walls of the pocket, and an inner upper claw extending from the outer end of the bar at the top of the said pocket and connecting the side walls thereof, said inner upper claw being arranged Iat an acute angle to the lower claw and the latter having its lower surface merging into the surface of the rolling convex fulcrum.

5. A nail and spike extractor comprising a bar having its outer end extended forwardly and provided with a nail and a spike head receiving pocket having side and rear walls, a lower outer claw constituting the bottom of the pocket and an upper inner claw extending from the outer end of the bar 'at the top of the pocket and connecting the side ing one end enlarged and directed laterally, l

the lower face of the laterally directed enlargement being round to provide al rolling fulcrum, said enlargement having inner and outer jaws arranged one above the other with the inner or upper claw extending forwardly beyond the lower or outer claw, the enlargement havin an opening formed therein to form a poc et which opens through the top of the enlargement in rear of the inner or upper claw andV which also opens outwardly through the front of the enlargement between said claws whereby to Vadmit of an unobstructed view of the outer or lower claw when engaging the same with a nail or like element to be extracted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRED SWGYER.

walls thereof, said pocket being open at the Y top and in rear of the inner claw and open at the front between the claws to aord an unobstructed view of the lower outer claw, the inner side edges of the inner claw having a slight lateral bevel downwardly and outwardly and the sides of the lower outer claw being laterally beveled at their upper faces.

6.. A nail extractor comprising a bar having one end enlarged and directed laterally and having the lower face of the laterally directed enlargement rounded toprovide a rolling fulcrum, said enlargement having inner and outer claws extending in the same direction, the inner claw extending forwardly beyond the outer claw, the enlargement h aving an opening formed therein to form a pocket which opens through the top and also through the front of the enlargement between the claws whereby to admit of an unobstructed view of the outer claw when engaging the same with a nail or like element to be extracted.

7. A nail extracto-r comprising a bar hav- 

